And now, as reported on the MI2N site dated 09-03-02, the RIAA, has, allegedly, requested a federal court to force Verizon network to identify customers the RIAA has accused of offering infringing music on a peer-to-peer, file-sharing system. Am I the only one who sees a very disturbing scenario on the horizon if this request is granted? If this occurs, what’s next? What are the limitations?

Will the RIAA want to follow-up with an amendment or addendum that states it can also take a peek into your boudoir (bedroom), or worse, your bano (bathroom) (actually, I’m not sure which is worse to peek in), all in the interest of “safe-swapping” and making sure you are not swapping files with a, possibly, infected partner? Or, should its desires, wants and needs fail to be met legally, will it eventually gravitate to sending around a “leg-breaker” such as my Uncle Guido who is partial to using 35″ Demarini’s for maximum effect?

For the controlling copyright gatekeeper, it is starting to present that it is becoming severely out of control. Since the RIAA was begun circa 930 B.C., I have never seen the sleeping giant so active. In fact, up to this point and for the most part, it has all but remained a quiet and mysterious entity to most recording artists, save for a few. Before now, many (if not most) artists had no clue as to even the most remote purpose of the RIAA.

But, the more I review its actions (and reactions) in today’s industry, the more it appears to me that the Recording Industry Association of America is attempting to serve up more of its own agenda, political, financial or otherwise, in its own self-serving interest, as opposed to serving the music industry wholeheartedly and, most importantly, the recording artists for which it was (supposedly) originally founded and intended.

As I stated in a previous article, I cannot understand why there exists such a high-level campaign against peer-to-peer file swapping, as it serves to significantly support and boost any promotional efforts, almost effortlessly. I can only guess that this illogic becomes logical to and when such an organization feels a loss of control, i.e. RIAA and major record labels.

And, once again, my advice to artists and independent labels placing their music online, is to limit the degree and amount of music to be made available, primarily, limiting it to the “singles” that they are planning for release anyway. And, regardless of how inept one is at business procedures, actually, this is practically a no-brainer, isn’t it?

Editor’s Note: Kenny Love has an extensive background in both the Music and Writing industries. Learn about the new services that he is providing to unsigned and independent recording artists in response to today’s shaken and fractionalized Music industry by sending an email request to klmubiz@getresponse.com